John Q
Seen it?2002 | 116 min | Drama, Thriller, Crime
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Audiences rate it highly (7.2 out of 10) and it's still drawing plenty of interest, though it had just 26% on Rotten Tomatoes. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans and anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved Fargo, start here. Audiences love it more than critics do: a crowd-pleaser first.
- The mood
- Tense, dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 56 min.
- What might put you off
- Critics were cooler on it than audiences.
John Quincy Archibald is a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it. Therefore, he decides to take a hospital full of patients hostage until the hospital puts his son's name on the donor's list.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsWeak
26% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesStrong
7.2 out of 10
- AwardsWeak
1 win and 3 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$102 million worldwide on a $36 million budget
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 423K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Nick Cassavetes
- Denzel WashingtonJohn Quincy Archibald
- James WoodsDr. Raymond Turner
- Kimberly EliseDenise Archibald
- Robert DuvallLt. Frank Grimes
- Shawn HatosyMitch Quigley
- Eddie GriffinLester Matthews
- Kevin ConnollySteve Maguire
- Ethan SupleeGuard Max Conlin
- Ray LiottaChief Gus Monroe
- Anne HecheRebecca Payne